Decision details

       i.          Progress in implementing the Council’s “All of Us” Equality Scheme 2017-20 is noted.

      ii.          The Equality Scheme Monitoring Report 2018-19 at and the council’s Equality Monitoring reports for 2018-19 attached at B are approved for publication on the council’s website.

     iii.          thet‘All of Us’ Equality Scheme 2017-2020 containing our equalities objectives is refreshed and extended until March 2021.

1.     The Council is committed to reviewing its performance in implementing its Equality Scheme annually. This report highlights and reviews the progress made in implementing the scheme during 2018-19 and includes the council’s equality monitoring information reports for 2018-19.

The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011 outline the specific duties that the council are required to meet to demonstrate its compliance with its equality duties to have due regard to:

§  Eliminating discrimination, harassment and victimisation

§  Advancing equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not

§  Fostering good relations between those with a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. 

These duties include publishing equality information annually by the end of January each year.

2.     The ‘All of Us’ Equality Scheme developed in 2017 which contains the Council’s equality objectives was due to be replaced for April 2020.  Following the May 2019 local elections, the Council’s new administration have been developing a new Council Plan which is due to come into effect in February 2020.  Therefore, the new strategic framework was not in place in 2019-20 to enable the development of the new equality scheme and objectives.  A new equality scheme will be developed during 2020-21 for 2021-25 and commence in April 2021.  In the meantime, the existing 2017-2020 equality scheme will be refreshed with updated actions and extended to cover 2020-21. 

The Council has a duty to advance equality of opportunity, eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation and foster good relations between people. The “All of Us” Equality Scheme has been developed to demonstrate how the Council is advancing equality.

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